Pretending to Forget
by vertigoSWAY
Summary: When Merlin is being held at sword point, multiple blades pressing from all sides at his throat, he doesn't even seem scared. "Whatever fate you have planned for me, your highness, I wish that you let me stop this before you carry it out."


**Kind of "in media res." No flashbacks though.**

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** It's the one thing that sets him apart from all the others. It's when Merlin is being held at sword point, multiple blades pressing from all sides at his throat, and he doesn't even seem scared. He just stares passively ahead, heart beating no faster and not slower.

Everyone else is terrified when they are discovered. Afraid that with one flick of the wrist from a skilled swordsman, their jugular can be cut just like that. So afraid that they resort to violent magic to create a distraction and run away.

But not Merlin. He just stands there, hands by his side, acting like this is all perfectly normal.

Meanwhile, everyone is staring at him like he's some kind of grand anomaly. The king stares, bewildered, that this man in front of him has thwarted an attempt as his life. The prince stares, hurt written all over his face. The physician stares, as if he knew this would one day be the case. The sorceress stares, shocked that he'd reveal himself like this. And the maid, she doesn't even know what to say.

Other members of the court are already convinced. This man must die.

But Merlin? He stares. He stares because in his heart he knows he did the right thing and saved a man from being murdered.

The thunder rumbles over head, and even though it is the early hours of the day, the candles are lit, because outside is like an endless night. Lightning sounds in the distance. Thunder shakes again.

Slowly and calmly, he begins to explain what is going on, what the sorceress in the room –along with her comrades- has planned. He just speaks, the swords still pointed and pressed against his bare, vulnerable flesh. He doesn't take the time to defend himself, or justify how his magic is good and will only ever be used for good. He doesn't take the time to plead for his life.

All he asks is this: "Whatever fate you have planned for me, your highness, I wish that you let me stop this before you carry it out."

And the court is in stunned silence at how calm his sorcerer can be. "Warlock," he corrects the king, when he makes that mistake. "Sorcery is learned. Magic isn't."

They'd ask what the difference between sorcery and magic really was, but the situation outside was too dire. Suddenly, the sorceress regains her senses and instead of taking her chance at the king, she decides to kill the person who'd stop her, even though they were once friends.

Merlin doesn't wait for an answer from the king. He stares at the coming dagger, accelerated by magic, and his eyes flash gold. It falls to the ground and the castle walls rumble as bits of rock dust fall from the ceiling. The sorceress screams in desperation and disappears in a whirlwind of dust.

Seizing the moment of confusion, Merlin dashes outside the castle walls and watches as brother turns on brother, friend on friend, wife on husband. The curse in the city has become too severe. Simply destroying the power source the caster channeled through wouldn't be enough. So he takes a deep breath, definitely _not_ feeling up to the spell he's about to cast.

"_Lux noctem liberare se repellet!_" he shouts, hand outstretched to the sky. His eyes burn horribly that they hurt him. All he can do is try to concentrate and ignore the people screaming, screaming _at _him.

He doesn't know anything after the power drains out him. For all he knew, he wouldn't wake up and see the sun. But it didn't matter, because it only meant he did his duty and saved everyone inside.

He eventually does wake, but he is delirious. He thinks he's dreaming, or some kind of afterlife. He murmurs a few words that don't make sense and drifts away again. It happens often and he's unaware of the people attending to him. Sometimes he murmurs spells, but they do nothing. Other times, he utters out names.

When he finally wakes, he realizes that he's been sleeping for a week but he still feels tired and drained. His body aches all over and Gaius tells him he's lucky that he's not dead. The statement has a double meaning.

His life's been spared on the account that he never uses magic again. Merlin laughs in his head. It's like everything's gone back to beginning where no one knows anything. They can't expect him to follow that law.

The next time he breaks it to save their lives, no one says anything.

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**_Lux noctem liberare se repellet_ = The light repels the night to free itself.  
(Latin) Yes yes, I know the TV show has the spells in Old English. Unfortunately, I don't know proper Old English. **


End file.
